Outdoor News and Info for Van Meter IA

Outdoor News and Info

Shoot Like A Pro With These 7 Simple Steps

The key to becoming a good shooter is that you and your rifle must work in unison. Good shooting starts by learning to control your breathing and…

Youth Trap—How to Join In the Fun Right Now

In the world we live in today with guns socially demonized and most schools being gun-free zones with zero tolerance, who would have imagined that in…

Why You Need To Be Hunting Squirrels Right Now

What if I told you about a hunting opportunity that’s happening right now, which offers abundant access to productive land, requires a minimum…

10 Best Dog-Friendly Hiking Trails in Iowa!

Iowa has a ton to offer when it comes to exploring the great outdoors with your furry friend. From scenic bluffs and creek vistas to wildlife-filled…

5 Great Early-Spring Camping Destinations

Spring may be just around the corner, but many parts of the country are only now starting to thaw out from a long, cold winter. If you’re…

How to Kayak: The Basics Made Easy

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need many technical skills to go paddling because today's craft are more stable than ever. The hardest part is…

Make The Most Of The Trout Fishing Opener

There is a misconception that fly-fishing has taken over trout fishing and that if you’re not toting a whippy seven-foot rod and looking to…

Paddleboarding Made Easy—Get Started Now!

Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP) is the fastest growing watersport in the world for good reason: It’s easy to learn, fun, refreshing, awesome core…

Motorcycles—How To Get Started On Two Wheels

Motorcycle riding offers lots of ways for outdoor enthusiasts to get into the sport—even if you’ve never ridden before. And though…

Best Tips for Catching Spring Bass Right Now!

Bass are America’s favorite sportfish and also the most accessible. Whether they’re the largemouth, spotted or smallmouth variety, bass…

How To Tap Into The Pre-Spawn Bass Bonanza

Catching bass is never an easy proposition. As winter gradually morphs into early spring, however, it becomes less of a challenge. Dynamic changes…

Learn To Drive Your 4x4 Like A Pro

Four-wheeling is a hands-on experience. You can gather a lot of driving tips from online stories, magazine articles and books, but to really get a…

Fall Camping Essentials—10 Items You Need to Have

Every year, it feels like the summer camping and backpacking season flies by in a flash. If where you live is like my region of the US, your outdoor…

How To Tap Local Fishing Communities For The Best Angling

There are a lot of fishing opportunities out there that may seem exotic or hard to come by at first. Dig a little deeper, though, and you’ll…

How to Catch Really Big Fish With Kids

When it comes to fishing with kids, conventional wisdom says to find a place where they can catch any fish with a high level of frequency and…

National Parks: How To Book The Best Campsites

If you’re planning a spring or summer camping trip to one of our national parks, now is the time to book your campsite reservations. Whether…

How To Get Started In The Paddlesports

Welcome to the wonderful world of paddlesports, where water whisks you away into a magical paradise and pastime you can pursue forever with family…

ATVs—Here’s How to Find The Best Riding Trails

“Where can I ride my new ATV?” That’s the number one question fielded by the nation’s powersports dealers and approximately…

Pack Your Backpack the Right Way in 5 Easy Steps

Learning how to properly pack a backpack is a true art form that every outdoor enthusiast should master. Whether you’re heading into the…

Why You Need to Take Your Kids Paddling Today

Note: The following was adapted from Outdoor Parents, Outdoor Kids, By Eugene Buchanan, which is available on the author’s website. It…

How to Pick the Perfect Campsite

Choosing the right campsite for our backcountry excursions can be surprisingly more challenging that you might think. Sure, it’s nice to…

6 Tips To Make Family Paddling More Fun

Getting your kids into the paddle sports is all about keeping the fun quotient high and the hassle factor low. Our water sport expert shares his…

Paddling With Your Kids—How To Get Started

Whether you head out for a day across the bay or a jaunt into the wilds for a week-long adventure, paddling is one of the best outdoor activities you…

Kayak Adventures—5 Warm-Weather Escapes To Try Right Now

Just because Old Man Winter is rearing his balaclava-covered head, doesn't mean you have to hang up your paddle. From sea kayaking along warm,…

4 Amazing Try-Before-You-Buy Jeep Adventures

If you’re thinking about buying your first 4x4, the cost of buying a truck or SUV, and the investment in parts to make the rig truly trail…

5 Best Whitewater Day Trips In America

Summer is here and now is the best time to enjoy a whitewater adventure with friends and family. Outfitted trips can be found all across the U.S. and…

10 Tips For Going Ultralight on the Trail

One of the hottest trends in hiking and backpacking over the past few years has been the shift toward going ultralight on the trail. Typically, this…

How to Charge Your Gadgets While Camping and Hiking

There once was a time when carrying electronic devices with us into the great outdoors was pretty much unthinkable. Fragile and expensive, such…

5 Amazing Water Trails You Need To Try Right Now!

Mountains have them, municipalities have them, so why shouldn’t waterways have them as well? I’m talking about trails that keep you on a…

Florida Fun: Fish Your Way From Disney World To Tampa

It’s Winter. For those in northern states that means cold and snow—the kind of weather you want to escape from. Maybe you’ve been…

31 Quick & Easy Trail Tips For First-Time Four-Wheelers

If you just bought your first 4x4, congratulations! But if you’re new to the world of four-wheeling, the notion of putting that brand-new truck…

4 new ways to tag public-land turkeys right now

Hunters who consistently kill turkeys on public land each year have adapted their own set of tactics through trial and error. After five years of…

10 Best 4x4 Vacation Adventures in the USA

We go four-wheeling for many reasons. One is the challenge of traveling tough terrain armed with driving skill and the mechanical capabilities…

Car Camping--5 Amazing Destinations for Ultimate Adventure

There’s something downright elegant about stripping life down to its basic elements: shelter and food (and, ideally, good company). We’re…

4 Easy Ways To Enjoy Mountain Biking On Your Vacation

If you’ve been on a vacation to an outdoor destination in the past few years, you’ve likely noticed a new phenomenon: cycle paths, single…

Paddle Games—3 Fun Games To Play On The Water

“I Spy”: (“I spy something green, something wet, etc.”) – perhaps make a rule that it can only be something people…

How To Hike Safely In Spring—5 Easy Tips

After a long winter, you’re no doubt itching to get back on your favorite trails, and inspired to explore new ones. But are you spring hiking…

10 Awesome Vacations Your Fishing Family Will Love

Fishing with the family is always funs, but not everybody who lives under your roof may like to fish 24/7. And if you have teens, they might…

10 (Modern) Essentials Every Hiker Should Carry

When the third edition of the classic book Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills was released back in 1974, it quickly became a must-read for any…

Layering 101: How to Stay Warm and Comfortable in Cold Conditions

The arrival of cold weather doesn’t mean you have to abandon your favorite outdoor activities and wait until the return of warm weather before…

Want To Shoot Your Shotgun Better? Get Stupid.

“You have the greatest computer in the history of the world sitting on your shoulders. If you want to shoot a shotgun well, get out of its…

4x4 Master Class--How To Conquer Snow and Ice

Just because there’s snow on the ground doesn’t mean your four-wheeling fun has to stop. Four-wheel drive doesn’t make you…

Save Big Money With These 9 Amazing Ski Resort Hacks

Whether you’re a die-hard powder hound or simply curious about why people subject themselves to a gear-intensive sport that takes place outside…

How To Catch More Winter Bass And Walleyes Right Now!

Regardless of where they swim, fish don’t stop eating just because it’s winter. Granted, their metabolism slows and they don’t…

Predator Hunting—How To Get Started The Easy Way

It’s February, and the first turkey seasons are still weeks away. If you don’t have frozen water where you live, then you can’t…

Antler Hikes—A Fun, New Way to Day Hike with Kids

Taking your family on an antler hike puts a new twist on spring day hikes and sharpens everyone’s abilities to observe what’s around them…

5 Awesome DIY Hunts You Can Take This Year

Is there a greater gift—or a more appealing challenge—for an American hunter than chasing game across public land, using only your…

10 Best Bass Waters Off The Beaten Path

The names of some bass fisheries resonate with anglers on a national scale: Okeechobee, Kentucky Lake, Guntersville, Havasu, Clear Lake, Lake Fork,…

How to Choose the Best Times to Fish

The best time to go fishing is whenever you can. While that old maxim has merit and speaks to the value of fishing just for the fun of it, there are…

This Year’s Best Turkey Loads for Spring Gobblers

Time was that hunters went after gobblers with No. 2 lead shot and whatever shotgun they owned. And for those just getting in to turkey hunting,…

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